6.1 CRM Data Model
A CRM is not a digital address book; it is the operating system of your manufacturing revenue. If a data point does not exist in the CRM, it does not exist for the business. A "loose" data model creates invisible risks—untracked engineering changes, unapproved margins, and zombie opportunities. Construct the schema to enforce process discipline, not just to record history.
Core Architecture: The Object Hierarchy
Organize data into two distinct streams: Commercial (getting the business) and Operational (executing the business).
The Commercial Stack
- Account: The legal entity. Distinguish between Parent (HQ) and Site (Factory/Branch).
- Opportunity: The potential revenue event.
- RFQ (Request for Quote): The technical trigger. Contains the data pack (BOM, Gerbers).
- Quote: The financial output. Linked strictly to a specific RFQ version.
- PO (Purchase Order): The contractual commitment. Must link to a valid Quote.
The Operational Stack
- Project (NPI): The execution vehicle for new product introduction.
- Change (ECO): Engineering Change Orders. Modifications to an active Product.
- Complaint (RMA/8D): Quality failures and feedback loops.
- QBR: Quarterly Business Review records and scorecards.
Field Mandates & Logic
Do not allow free-text chaos. Use validation rules to force data integrity at the source.
Account Level
- Tier: (Tier 1, 2, 3) → Determines support level.
- Market Segment: (e.g., IoT, Automotive, MedTech) → Critical for risk concentration analysis.
- Credit Limit: Hard currency value.
- Logic: IF Open Orders > Credit Limit → THEN Block new PO entry.
Opportunity & RFQ Level
- EAU (Est. Annual Usage): Numeric only.
- Lifecycle Phase: (Concept, Prototype, Mass Production).
- Technical Pack: (Checkbox: BOM, Gerber, Test Spec).
- Logic: IF Technical Pack = Incomplete → THEN Cannot advance to "Quoting" stage.
Quote Level
- Material Margin %: Calculated field.
- Value Add (Labor) $: Numeric.
- Validity Date: Date field.
- Logic: IF Current Date > Validity Date → THEN Status auto-updates to "Expired."
Stage Definitions (The Pipeline Physics)
Ambiguous stages lead to inaccurate forecasting. Define entry and exit criteria physically.
Stage | Definition / Exit Criteria | Probability |
0. Prospecting | Cold contact. No confirmed project. | 0% |
1. Qualification | Project confirmed. Exit: NDA Signed + Technical Pack received. | 10% |
2. Solutioning | Engineering review. Exit: BOM Costed + Labor estimated. | 30% |
3. Proposal | Price sent to client. Exit: Quote negotiation active. | 60% |
4. Negotiation | Final terms review. Exit: Verbal commitment or Draft Contract. | 80% |
5. Closed Won | Exit: Hard PO received + Credit Check passed. | 100% |
6. Closed Lost | Project lost. Required: "Loss Reason" field must be filled. | 0% |
Naming Conventions
Standardize record names to allow instant visual scanning.
- Opportunity: [Customer Ticker] - [Project Name] - [Product Type]
- Example: TSLA - CyberWhistle - Audio PCB
- Quote: Q-[Date]-[Customer]-[Rev]
- Example: Q-20231012-TSLA-01
- Project: NPI-[Year]-[Project Code]
- Example: NPI-[Year]-[Project Code]
Pro-Tip: Never allow "Generic" account names like "Miscellaneous" or "Cash Sale." Every transaction must track to a verified entity for liability and tax purposes.
Final Checklist
Control Point | Requirement | Logic / Risk |
Currency | Single Base Currency | Force all Quotes to convert to base (USD/EUR) for apples-to-apples margin analysis. |
Loss Reasons | Drop-down Menu | Do not use text. Use: "Price," "Lead Time," "Tech Capability." Enables Pareto analysis of failure. |
Contact Role | Mandatory | Identify the "Buyer," "Engineer," and "Decision Maker." You cannot close a deal if you are only talking to the engineer. |
Validation | No PO without Quote | The system must reject a PO entry if it does not link to an Approved Quote. Prevents pricing errors. |
Orphan Data | Auto-Clean | Auto-archive Opportunities with no activity > 90 days. Keep the funnel real. |